The sudden removal of Uttar Pradesh Governor Suraj Bhan has
raised many eyebrows in Lucknow. Political circles were agog with
speculation whether the decision was taken by Chief Minister Rajnath
Singh or forced upon him by Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati.
Bhan will exchange places with Himachal Pradesh Governor Vishnu Kant
Shastri.

Political analysts believe that the traditionally upper caste Hindu-
dominated Bharatiya Janata Party was either targeting upper caste
votes, or it was out to woo Mayawati, who saw Bhan, a dalit, as a
threat.

Bhan supporters believe that his assertive style of working alarmed the
BJP leadership. While former chief minister Kalyan Singh had often
raised objections against the governor's 'activism', Rajnath thought it
best to have Bhan out of the way before any confrontation.
Bhan asserted, "I have never believed in being a ceremonial figure."
He took up tasks which no governor had - be it reforms in universities,
including streamlining academic calendars and appointment of vice
chancellors, or pointing out bunglings in implementation of dalit
welfare schemes. His divisional-level meetings to get feedback on the
state's development caused heartburns between him and Kalyan Singh.
Bhan's became more emphatic and open about his strong dalit agenda
after Kalyan's ouster.

He started a campaign against large-scale misappropriation of funds for
dalit welfare and took it up with President K R Narayanan, who promptly
set up a seven-member committee of governors to look into it.
This was followed by whole-hearted patronage to a new dalit outfit of
senior bureaucrats, police officers and other government employees,
Rashtriya Arakshit Adhikari Evam Karamchari Mahasangh [National
Federation of Reserved Category Employees].

While BJP sources were tight-lipped about the reasons behind the sudden
move, political observers feel it had something to do with
an "underhand deal" between the BJP and BSP.

Bhan supporters say it was done to appease Mayawati, who had sought his
head as a pre-condition for an alliance with the BJP. Mayawati often
declared her reservations about Bhan. She often alleged, "Bhan has been
brought to counter my influence over dalits but it will have no effect
on my following."

Even on Friday, after news of his removal, Bhan took the opportunity to
recapitulate all he had done for dalit welfare since his student days
in Punjab. "I started my mission long ago," he said, narrating how he
had once brought a bill in the Lok Sabha seeking enactment of a law for
implementation of reservations.

"The bill was defeated as my party was not in a majority, but it did
make an impact as it was followed with the constitution of a
parliamentary committee on scheduled castes and scheduled tribes."
On what led to his shifting, he told ridiff.com, "How do I know? I had
no prior inkling," but added, "frankly, I am happier to be closer to my
home in Haryana. And since I know Himachal Pradesh like the palm of my
hand, it won't be difficult for me to pursue my agenda there."

HP and UP governors to swap places
Pro-active Governor Suraj Bhan shifted out of UP Raj Bhavan
DH News Service
NEW DELHI, Nov 3

The controversial Uttar Pradesh Governor, Mr Suraj Bhan, whose "pro-
active" style in Raj Bhavan had attracted criticism from the BJP, was
today shifted to Himachal Pradesh, just a week after the new Chief
Minister, Mr Rajnath Singh, took office.

Mr Vishnu Kant Shastri, Governor of Himachal Pradesh, will swap places
with Mr Bhan and take over as Governor in Lucknow, a Rashtrapati Bhavan
communique said here this afternoon.

The shifting of Mr Bhan comes in the midst of reports that the ruling
coalition led by the BJP in Uttar Pradesh had not taken kindly to
his "pro-active and assertive" style of functioning. The swapping of
places by the two was announced in the Rashtrapati Bhavan communique
which said the two appointments will be for the remainder of their
terms of office. Their appointments will take effect from the date they
assume charge of their respective offices.

Mr Bhan, who took over as UP Governor in December last year, had raised
a controversy sometime back when he sought details about the
expenditure on government schemes for the welfare of people belonging
to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and had also hosted a
function at Raj Bhavan involving RSS functionaries.

Meanwhile, Mr Shastri, who arrived here from Shimla, is leaving for
Lucknow tomorrow to take charge. Mr Bhan, who is in Gujarat, is likely
to reach Shimla on Sunday.

Mr Bhan, who had come to know about his shift, was in Delhi last week
and unsuccessfully lobbied for his stay in Lucknow at least for two
months. He tried to meet Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Home
Minister L K Advani but they reportedly refused to meet him. Mr Bhan,
who is believed to have spoken to President K R Narayanan on the
telephone, tried to get more time as UP Governor so that he could
complete the report of Governors' Committee on Dalits whose convenor he
is.

Mr Vajpayee, who has not liked the way Mr Bhan conducted himself in the
Lucknow Raj Bhavan, reportedly refused to accept Mr Bhan's request for
not shifting him to Shimla. Mr Bhan had become assertive with the BJP
functionaries as his son was not given a party ticket in Haryana. Mr
Bhan, who belongs to Ambala, had a grouse that while the BJP leaders
were promoting their sons in the party, his son was being ignored.
Being a dalit, Mr Bhan had played a pro-active role as a champion of
dalits and virtually assumed a second centre of power in Uttar Pradesh.
Most of the BJP Dalit leaders and workers were trying to treat him as
their leader. To further widen the rift between the BJP and the RSS, Mr
Bhan started wooing RSS functionaries and even organised a RSS function
in the Raj Bhavan.

The BJP leadership, particularly Mr Vajpayee, did not like the way Mr
Bhan was conducting himself. The BJP did not want that there should be
another Dalit face of the party other than Bangaru Laxman himself. The
Congress has had many Dalit leaders but the official face of the Dalits
was Mr Jagjivan Ram. Similarly, the BJP's only Dalit face is Mr Laxman
and nobody else.

For this reason, the BJP chose an all upper caste team in Uttar
Pradesh, which is going to the polls next year, in order to win over
the high caste people by appointing the governor, the chief minister
and the state party chief from the upper castes. Some Dalits leaders of
the party, including Mr Sangh Priya Gautam, were supportive of Mr Bhan
and wanted him to be retained in the Lucknow Raj Bhavan. Mr Vajpayee,
who did not agree to this, probably believes that an assertive governor
is against the spirit of democracy.